Red Temple of Techiuan

The Red Temple of Techiuan is a simple building in the Temple District of Fountainhead dedicated to the worship of Techiuan. Unlike the majority of buildings in the district it is fashioned from a brown-red stone and fired clay. The most unique characteristics is the pyramidal roof and soil floor. The outside of the temple is decorated with bas-relief works depicting various animals, hunting tools, and grasslands.

The pyramidal roof is divided by layers with large shutters between the sections of glazed clay roofing material. When the shutters are open sunlight and rain can come into the building. Most of the water is collected in a large cistern at the rear of the temple, which then can be used for ceremonies.

The floor is loosely turned soil about ten centimeters (4 inches) deep. There are sections set aside for the growing of vegetables and grains. The fruits of these labors are used in various ceremonies. Except for the soil there is a stone alter and pair of stone benches heavy enough it take eight men to move them. Like the walls the alter and benches are intricately decorated.

Eight stone steps reach from the street to the front door.

The temple is dominated by the large open room for worship. The only items in the room is a large stone alter and a pair of large stone benches. The large front door to the outside and two smaller doors at the back are the only ways out. It is possible to crawl through the roof shutters, but it would be difficult. Only a gaunt person could slide through the thin windows along the walls. Copper pipes run along the ceiling controlling the flow of water.

The eastern door leads to a large ceramic cistern topped by a bronze lid. Copper pipes connect to collectors near the roof shutters and carry water into the cistern or to a pipe outside. The cistern is more than five man-heights deep (10+ meters) and gets wider as it gets deeper.

The western door opens into a short hallway that leads to three rooms. The first room is a small bunkhouse, the second is a private study, and the third is a storage room.

The Temple of Techiuan was first constructed of wood by the tribes before the rise of the Sorcerers Kingdom. When the Marakii grew in power they destroyed the first temple. The tribes rebuilt the temple three more times and each one was burned to the ground by the Marakii. The fifth temple was the largest one and constructed from stone. It withstood three attempts by the Marakii to destroy it. After the third attempt failed the Marakii did not try again.

When Aegrin defeated X'toltn with the aid of Techiuan the temple was one of the buildings raised upon the large basalt shelf that rose up from the ground. The temple sits high up on the shelf near the northern edge of the shelf.

In 455 AH Karl found a holy artifact of Techiuan in the caves beneath the city. When he returned this artifact to this temple the soil and water inside was blessed and cured of the effects of the mindlessness that strikes much of the city. When he drank of this water and ate the vegetables he grew here his mindlessness was cured. He took over the temple and gathered a congregation to him. His dynamism and oratory skills drew people to him.